Melting the Ice Queen
by CoffeeBorne Addict
Summary: Elias has his sights on Monika. She is called the Ice Queen for good reason. Can he find a way into her cold heart? Will he be kept out? Or will someone else get in the way?
1. Chapter 1

IQ took a quick peak, leaning gently to see into the room. Her blue eyes squinted to see the White Mask taking cover behind the deployable shield. Less than one second was all the time she needed, the quick squeeze of a trigger deploying a small burst of rounds. The silencer punished the sound emitting from the weapon. The White Mask let out a garbled cry before his body crumpled against the floor. Quietly, she moved forward in her crouched state, ears on alert for any minute sounds. She moved her weapon with her eyes, muzzle scanning the room before settling behind a counter. Her companion was behind her. His shield protected their rear.

" _Der Raum ist klar_. (The room is clear.)" IQ whispered.

" _Gut_. (Good.)" Blitz murmured back. " _Die Rückseite ist klar_. (The rear is clear.)"

IQ took a moment to activate her Spectre, scanning the room on the opposite wall. There on the display was the outline of a bomb.

"It is there, _ja_?" Blitz asked as he heard the pings of the doomsday device.

" _Ja_." IQ confirmed. "We move forward."

As though they were one, the duo moved towards the barricaded doorway. IQ lowered her weapon as Blitz moved in front of her, his shield swinging at the wooden barricade. The action was quick. Shouts of the terrorists held up inside were accompanied by a flurry of weapons firing. Blitz pressed the button on the handle of his shield, a brilliant white flash flooding the room for a split second. This was IQ's cue to come around, standing behind Blitz and firing her weapon towards the three White Masks in the room. The bullets met their mark as the face-shielded men collapsed to the ground.

"Quickly." Blitz said as he provided cover for the female as she set down the diffuser.

The countdown commenced and IQ quickly moved towards cover while Blitz crouched behind the counter, his pistol trained to defend the diffuser. Footsteps could be heard from above as the White Masks rushed to reach their position. IQ gripped her weapon tighter as she trained her eye on the door where they were more likely to enter. Her heart pounded within her chest. Blitz was first to fire, his trigger pulling. A calculated shot hit their mark, the White Mask collapsing to the ground and blood squirting from the shot to his neck. From there, it was a blur as smoke bombs were thrown into the room and clouded the vision of the German operatives.

" _Verdammt_. (Damn.)" IQ cursed. She placed more focus onto her hearing. The woman fired her weapon, White Masks crying out in pain as they were hit. Their bodies made heavy thuds as they impacted the floor. The reinforced wall on the opposite side of the room hissed as it was being infiltrated. The German operators could see the outline of the steel being breached through the dissipating smoke.

" _Schnell töten ihn, Monika_! (Quickly kill him, Monika!)" Blitz growled as the bomber came charging after the wall collapsed. IQ would berate him later for using her real name. She preferred that her teammates not use it while they were in battle.

The female chose not to comment as she aimed at the White Mask's head, sending multiple three-round bursts into the terrorist. Finally, he fell several feet from the diffuser. The smokey haze finally lifted and the remaining terrorists were eliminated shortly after the diffuser finished its job.

Simulation Complete. Operators Blitz and IQ are victorious.

* * *

Monika stepped off the training floor, emptying her magazines of unused rounds and depositing them into an ammunitions can.

"Monika." Elias called after her. She turned to him with a frown. "I wish to apologize."

" _Dummkopf_. (Idiot.)" She dropped her magazines into the crate. "Had this been in a real tactical environment, you could have placed me in danger."

The male sighed. " _Ja_ , I understand. I am sorry."

"I accept your apology. Do not do it again." Monika slung her weapon across her front before turning on heel and heading towards the female locker room. Elias frowned as he pulled his shield out in front of him, allowing it to rest against his lower body. Dominic was waiting, pushing against the wall and heading toward Elias as Monika disappeared behind the doors leading to the locker room.

"What did you do to our Ice Queen, Elias?" The older man asked with a grin.

Elias grabbed his magazines, emptying them of their unused rounds. He grunted as the rounds clinked on impact. "I called her by her name."

Dominic shook his head, chuckling. " _Nein, nein, nein. Mein Freund_! (No, no, no. My friend!) That will never do!"

" _Glaubst du, ich weiß es nicht_? (Do you think I do not know?)" Elias hissed at him as he placed his magazines in the crate. "It was a mistake on my part."

"Go freshen up, Elias. I will meet you in the mess hall." Dominic said with a light shake of his head.

Elias sighed as his picked up his shield and he headed towards the male locker room. Between him, Marius, and Dominic, it was no secret that Elias was pinning for Monika. There was something about that woman that captured Elias. At first, Dominic had told Elias to give up hope. Monika was given the secondary nickname of 'Ice Queen' not long after she was integrated into Team Rainbow. It was given to her with good reason. Eventually, Dominic halfheartedly supported Elias as he watched on the sidelines as the man did his best to possible catch the unsuspecting woman's eye. Marius did his best to help Elias, but his abrasive nature did poorly to shield the subtle attempts to pry into the woman's life. Monika would brush him off naturally.

A shower proved well as Elias scrubbed the shampoo through his light colored hair. The suds flowed down his body and spiraled down the drain. With a wash rag, he squeezed the bottle of body wash and gave himself a once over. The shower was kept short, however. In about five minutes, he was drying his body with a brown towel. Elias kept the towel wrapped around his waist as he made way towards his neatly folded pile of clothes on the bench.

During his shower, Maxim had entered the locker room. The Russian operative was facing the mirror, his camoflauge paints were set in front of him beside the sink.

"Are you off to run a simulation?" Elias asked the other man.

" _Da_. I assume you finished yours?" Maxim did not pause, fingers colored his eyelids black.

"You assume correctly." Elias set down his towel and grabbed the set of underwear at the top of his clothing pile. He slipped it on with ease. "Will you be conducting the simulation on your own?"

" _Net_. Gustave and James will be accompanying me." The Russian mixed the dark green on his high cheeks with the black of his under-eyes. "Team builders are key to cohesion."

"Best of luck."

"Always."

Little was said after that as Elias finished dressing. He sat on the bench, leaning over to tie his laces on his sneakers. Maxim closed his paints and moved to his locker, pulling out his gear. "Elias."

The German looked up towards the other man. " _Ja?_ "

"The _dama_ is not impossible to conquer. Do not try too hard, _tupitsa_. (dumbass.)" Maxim said with an amused grin as he pulled his hood over his head. Before Elias could give a chance to reply, the Russian left the locker room.

" _Unverschämter_ _Schelm_. (Cocky soundrel)." Elias grumbled as he stowed away his gear, shield, and weapon.

* * *

The mess hall was no more than a five minute walk from the locker room. True to his word, Dominic was there waiting for him with Marius beside him. They had not yet gone through the chow line. Elias moved to greet his comrades with firm handshakes before going towards the chow line and his comrades followed suit.

"Did you have any luck with our Ice Queen during your simulation, Elias?" Marius asked in a quiet voice.

Elias turned his head a fraction towards the other man. " _Nein_. Instead, I made a mistake and called her name."

Marius shook his head in disapproval. "That will not do, Elias. _Dummkopf_."

"That is what I said." Dominic chippered in.

Elias grabbed a tray from the top of the stack, moving forward in the chow line. "Please, tell me then. What do I do?"

He shot them a glare over his shoulder before facing the food behind the glass and the servers. " _Rouladen_ , please."

Elias' question remained unanswered as they went through the chow line. The cashier at the end of the line took one glance at Elias' food before tapping away at the monitor. She did not need to instruct the German operator further as he had his Rainbow ID ready to scan. Once they were cashed out, the three men walked back to their table and sat down. Elias held down his rouladen with a fork before cutting the veal with his knife.

"To answer you, _mein_ _Freund_ , approach Monika with the same firmness she approaches others. Like the Americans say, she is not a pushover. That woman is not delicate. She is not tender. Do not be rude either. We are men, not barbarians. If you mean business, show her." Dominic said after swallowing down his first bite.

" _Es sei denn, Sie sind ein Stiefmütterchen ..._ (Unless you are a pansy...)" Marius snickered.

Elias frowned, growling. " _Ich bin kein Stiefmütterchen._ (I am not a pansy.)"

"Then, do not be such a timid boy having a crush on a little girl. We are all adults here." Marius replied.

There was a moment of silence as the men ate their meals. Elias knew Dominic was right. Monika hardly ever expressed a moment of delicacy. The woman was as tough as nails, as sharp as a blade. Her intellect surpassed his own. Due to his athleticism, before he was recruited into Team Rainbow, women would almost beg Elias to have him as their company. Granted, he denied all of them. None of the other women ever perked his interest. Monika was recruited into Team Rainbow not long after Elias and the pair trained together as attackers. During training, there was a strict non-fraternization rule. Both of them followed it easily. It was during that time that Elias marveled at the capabilities of this stunning woman. Due to her skill of locating electronic devices, Monika was a very valued member of the team. She never placed any of her comrades at risk.

Before Elias knew it, he had eaten all of the food on his plate.

"Were you starving, Elias?" Marius asked with a small grin. "Were you feeling rushed, perhaps?"

The youngest of the men frowned before grabbing the glass of cranberry juice. He took a quick swig of the drink. He decided to not answer Marius' question, instead he finished his drink and stood up. They exchanged curt handshakes before Elias took his tray to the conveyor and set it down. Elias left the mess hall shortly after.

* * *

The next time Elias saw Monika was on the firing range. She was there on the center lane with her 552 Commando. Elias watched her for a short moment, taking notice that there was less of a recoil every time she fired. Perhaps she had purchased a compensator for her weapon. Elias stepped into the stall next to her, pulling his P12 from its holster and setting it down on the table surface in front of him. Next to his weapon, he placed two magazines full with rounds. A bullseye target pulled up in front of him and moved back fifteen meters as he took the first magazine and loaded it into his weapon. The hearing protection muffled the ear-ringing sound from his weapon as he fired into the target. After three shots, he called the target towards him. With a sharpie, he circled the closely knit hits. They were not too far off from the center of the bullseye.

The target was sent back to fifteen meters. Elias took aim and fired his weapon again. The German operative rarely took time to place his aim. It was said that one would have a better chance of hitting their intended goal the moment the weapon was raised to take aim. With a weapon like his, Elias did not have the time to wait for a calculated shot. He had to aim and fire as fast as possible while meeting the intended goal. In close quarters, Elias could not afford to spend more than a precious second just to take aim. His reaction and precision were critical.

"Not bad of a grouping." Elias barely heard over his hearing protection. He flicked the switch, placing the weapon into safety as he looked over his shoulder and lowering his weapon. Monika was looking past him and towards the target. He called the target forward as he set down his weapon. True to the woman's word, two of the three shots hit the bullseye as the third shot was half and half. It was a grouping regardless. Monika kept her weapon down as she observed her comrade's shots on the target. "This looks tight and together. All of your hits are grouped. Had this been center mass, you would have killed your enemy."

The praise made Elias feel a bit proud of himself. "Consider the enemy thoroughly killed."

"It is a good thing that I trust you already." Monika stated as she slung her weapon to her front. Elias took notice at her newest attachment.

"How is the recoil on your weapon?"

Monika glanced down briefly. "It works like a charm. I no longer have to worry about readjusting my sight picture as much anymore."

"That is good."

There was an awkwardness in the brief silence before Monika shuffled. "I am going to clean my weapon. I will see you later."

Elias knew he had to say something quick before Monika would leave. " _Warte_ _ab_! (Wait!)"

The woman paused in mid-stride, pivoting half of her body towards Elias. " _Ja_?"

He almost hesitated as her eyes caught his. "I will join you."

Monika tried to hide her surprise, but nodded nonetheless. "Very well. I shall wait for you."

Elias was quick to securely put away his weapon and collect his magazines. He accompanied Monika, passing Dominic and Marius. Dominic gave his comrade a wink as Marius snickered to himself. Elias pretended to ignore them.


	2. Chapter 2

Two

Elias was rather content with himself. He had managed to be in Monika's company for an extended period of time, cleaning weapons and keeping a friendly conversation. He had gone as far as accompanying her to the mess hall in time for dinner. Dominic nudged Marius when he spotted Elias with Monika and Elias could have sworn he saw them snicker.

" _Kann ich dich begleiten?_ (May I join you?)" Elias asked as he gently tested the waters. Monika, for most of her dinners, sat with Taina Pereira and Tina Lin Tsang. She found his request to be a small surprise.

Her tease almost sounded hard. " _Mit Frauen?_ (With females?)"

" _Ich sehe Maxim mit dir sitzen._ (I see Maxim sitting with you.)" he shot back.

" _Oh, alles klar_. (Oh, all right.)"

Elias felt his heart skip a little. He allowed Monika to lead him through the chow line and he followed her to their round table. The way Elias positioned himself had him facing the center of the chow hall with Monika to his right. Maxim sat to his left, followed by Tina and Taina. From the corner of his vision, he could see Dominic and Marius at an adjacent table to themselves. They kept close watch.

"Good evening." Monika said to the group.

" _Dobryy vecher_. (Good evening.)" Maxim replied back.

"I hope you do not mind Elias joining us today." she continued.

Elias felt all the eyes on him for the slightest of moments. Maxim gave him a gentle pat on the shoulder. "Of course not. It is nice to have male company."

"May I remind you, Max, that you chose to be here while your brethren can only watch." Tina said with a soft shove.

"I am aware of that, _kotenek_. They are envious that not all of my attention is on them."

Elias instantly picked up on the tenderness of Maxim's voice, the affection behind it. He had known from afar of their relationship. Never seen it until now, hearing it first-handedly. Rainbow tolerated relationships as long as they were behind doors and not outwards. Maxim and Tina interacted much differently in the field, in classes, and in training.

Their chatter was small, more focused on finishing their dinner meal. Much like Elias expected, Monika spoke intelligence as she discussed the effectiveness of her new compensator. He was more captivated in the way she spoke with confidence, completely sure of the words she was saying. As Elias ate his meal, he listened. Every once in a while, he would spare a moment to glance at her.

A small paper ball impacted his neck and Elias instantly knew the culprit, turning his head a fraction towards Dominic and Marius. Guilty, Dominic had a straw in hand and the grin plastered on his face accompanied by a wink passed suggestions towards Elias. The German operator narrowed his eyes at him.

"Elias, is something wrong?"

The man turned his attention back to where he was, blinking twice as he reeled his mind back from the initial surprise of how close he was to Monika. "A-ah, _nein_. Everything is alright."

Monika briefly turned in Dominic's and Marius' direction. The two men were both sipping on their drinks. When she turned back, their eyes went to Elias.

Slowly, the chow hall's occupants left to retire to their beds. As Elias stood to take his tray to the conveyor, he set a hand on Monika's tray. "May I?"

The offer caught Monika off guard and she stared down at her tray for several seconds before nodding. "I- Of course."

He moved her plates and silverware to his tray, then set his tray above hers. Elias topped it all off with their cups.

" _Danke_. (Thank you.)" she said as she stood from her seat.

" _Gern geschehen_ (My pleasure.)"

* * *

Much like Elias expected, his male teammates were waiting for him in their shared room. Dominic was leaning against the wall, a smug grin in place, as Marius sat on the desk chair across from the other Defender. Elias felt cornered as soon as he closed their door.

" _Mein Freund_. Do tell. How was dinner with the Ice Queen?" Dominic asked.

Elias almost gave him a scowl as he walked past them. "It was just fine."

"It was more than 'just fine', Elias. You looked so love struck." Dominic said with a chuckle as Elias sat down on his bed. The mattress groaned slightly under his weight.

" _Gehen Sie piss weg_. (Go piss off.)" the redness of his cheeks betrayed him as he took off his sneakers.

"No need to be brash, Elias." Dominic teased. "You enjoyed your dinner with Monika."

"And if I did?" Elias tossed a shoe at his comrade's leg and missed. Dominic pushed off the wall, mocking kisses towards Elias. " _Hör auf_. (Stop it.)"

" _Genug, Dominic_. (Enough, Dominic.) Let Elias feel accomplished. Tomorrow, you can torment him some more." Marius said as he rose from his spot on the chair and made way towards his bed.

Elias rolled his eyes as he removed his shirt. "Such friends you are."

"Admit it, Elias. You adore us." Dominic received a rude hand gesture.

Dominic only laughed before moving towards his bed, pushing the sheets as he settled comfortably.

Elias sighed as he laid back on the bed. His eyes maintained contact with the the forever embedded grooves on the ceiling, a sigh leaving him. The man smiled a little to himself as his arms moved behind his head to offer additional support. Sleep slowly settled, his eyes closing and darkness covering him.

* * *

Monika sighed softly, the toe of a shoe pulling at the heel of her other one. The sneakers slipped off and she aligned them at the foot of her bed.

Like her male partners, she shared a whole dorm with three other female operators. She shared the room with Tina. Beside their room was a Romeo and Juliet bathroom that connected with another room that housed Emmanuelle Pichon and Eliza Cohen.

Tina was not at the room yet. Monika assumed that her roommate was with Maxim. The German operator thought it was odd, how the two others could manage a relationship with a high risk occupation. At first, their relationship had been kept secret, but it became unveiled rather quickly. Higher levels of animosity, constant regard for each other, even in training simulations did they appear more synchronized.

The Deputy Director had personally spoken to Maxim and Tina in regards of their relationship. Monika remembered when Tina came back from speaking with Deputy Director Six. The Canadian woman was shaken just a little. She had agreed to keep the relationship away from the field and their workplace. The only exception were after hours. If Tina or Maxim went against the terms, both would be removed from Team Rainbow indefinitely.

It was a horror that Monika could not imagine. To have her career at stake because of another individual. Tina told her it was worth it. She and Maxim would never regret their decision.

Monika slipped off her jeans, giving them a toss into the hamper. A toe slid alongside the inner curve of her heel, clumsily catching her sock and pulling her foot upwards. The sock came off and she did the same to the other foot.

Strange it was. Elias. Her comrade spent half the day with her when he normally fooled with Marius and Dominic. Perhaps he needed a change in environment. Dominic tended to drive her insane, especially with his mischievous attitude. She did not doubt he did the same to Elias. After spending years undercover, she could see why Dominic was on the insane side of things.

A hand pulled the towel hanging from its rack and pushed the door to the bathroom. Fortunately, no one was occupying it. Monika pulled off the rest of her clothes, folding them neatly on top of the toilet's tank. She pushed her hair to the side as she started the shower, adjusting the water to her preference. Once she was pleased, she stepped in and sighed.

As she allowed herself to be covered in hot water, her mind recollected the events of her day. Elias presented himself in her thoughts. The man had definitely caught her by surprise. Normally, their encounters were short. Never more than just one hour or two. However, there was the simulation, the range, dinner. Elias had gone as far as the end of the hall where it forked to the male side and the female side of the dorm rooms. Their exchange was short, bidding each other a restful night, but Monika had a feeling that Elias wanted to say more. He turned away several seconds after she did.

There were a few occasions where Elias lingered around her, but not as much as today. Monika wondered why. The shower was finished before she knew it and there was company in the bathroom. The sink was running, Emmanuelle standing before it while she brushed her teeth as Monika stepped out of the shower. The German operator wrapped the towel around her chest, tucking an end alongside her breast. Emmanuelle pulled the toothbrush out of her mouth, spitting into the sink.

" _Bonne nuit._ (Good night.)" the French woman said.

" _Gute Nacht_." Monika replied as she collected her clothes. She stepped out of the bathroom and deposited her clothes into the hamper. Tina was at the door in a heavy embrace with Maxim. Monika could just barely hear them kiss. It was a routine, Maxim would drop off her roommate almost every night and they would take at least five minutes to say good night.

Monika had no desire to be spotted nude by the Russian male and stepped into her closet to dress for the night. She purposely took longer to dress, waiting to hear their room door shut.

"You can come out now, Monika." she heard Tina say. "I'm telling you to switch beds with me so that yours isn't in view of the door."

"But I would hear you complain about the vent blowing cold air on your feet." Monika replied back as she left her closet. "I would rather dress in the closet than have to hear your complaints."

Tina sighed. "Fair enough."

Monika pulled her blankets down and settled into her bed. " _Gute Nacht, Tina_."

"Good night to you too, Monika."


	3. Chapter 3

Elias had some difficulty getting an adequate amount of sleep and he decided to do something about it versus remaining in bed, tossing and turning. The last thing he wanted was to wake his comrades because of his incessant rustling. Making minimal noise as possible, Elias moved to his closet and opening it up to retrieve his sweats to put on over his sleeping shorts. He grabbed a light sweater as well in case he wanted to visit outside.

Before he left the room, he saw the digital clock on the nightstand and he cringed a little at its red numbers: 02:34.

Elias yawned, giving his eyes a rub before he made down the hall. He had gotten about five hours of sleep or so. It could have been worse. Elias had operated on worse hours. He tucked his hands into the pockets of his sweater, wincing just a little as the motion sensor lights of the hallway flickered on. He walked at his own pace, hardly in a rush to get anywhere.

Sleep was rather hard for the man to get into as of late. Insomnia was always hardly a fun affair. Melatonin worked wonders for his insomnia, but his bottle ran out and he hated bothering the good doctor for a prescription refill. Elias could probably get the sleeping aid in a drug store, but that required leaving the installation. The last thing the German operative wanted was to be flocked by the military personnel on post. Recruits acted like imbeciles around the seasoned operators and it was more than annoying.

The phone in his pocket buzzed once and he spared it a quick glance. It was from Mark Chandar. Elias almost rolled his eyes. The Brit was probably watching the monitors.

 ** _The Doctor is in the infirmary if you need sleep aid._**

Elias spotted the closest camera, noticing how it was focused on him. He paused to send back a reply. **_I could say the same about you._**

He put away his phone and kept walking. Visiting Doc was not a bad idea. He could refill his prescription and not need to do it later. Passing the double doors and leaving the dorm rooms, Elias mindlessly made his way towards the infirmary.

The trip there was short and he trudged in with his eyelids halfway closed, feet dragging. Gustave Kateb was reviewing his inventory when he heard the sliding doors of his infirmary open.

"Ah, Elias." He spared a glance at his wrist watch. "Insomnia?"

Elias blinked twice, forcing himself to straighten his posture. "Yes, doctor. I figured to come and have you refill my prescription."

Gustave set down his clipboard on the nearest counter before moving towards the back of the infirmary. " _Oui, mon ami_. I can do that for you."

Elias found himself a chair, sitting down as the doctor entered a room with all the personnel files. Gustave returned with a manila folder in hand, Elias' name on the tab. He set down the folder on a counter and wiggling the mouse computer. The screen onlined, Gustave tapping on the keyboard and electronically accessing Elias' file.

"Rozerem is the sleeping aid you have commonly used, correct?" Gustave asked.

Elias nodded. "Yes, doctor. I am fully aware of its recommended dosages."

"Good. I am refilling your prescription and you will take the receipt to the pharmacy down the hall. Since morning is arriving, I recommend you start taking the sedative tonight thirty minutes before you sleep." Gustave said as he typed away on the computer. He picked up his pen from his lab coat, marking on the paper files. The nearest printer pushed out a paper and the Frenchman went to grab it.

The German operative rubbed his face in exhaustion as Gustave returned and signed the form. He accepted the paper from the doctor. " _Vielen Dank_ (Many thanks)."

Gustave nodded. " _De rien_ (You're welcome)."

Elias got up from his seat, holding the paper in his hand as he left the infirmary. The pharmacist on duty barely gave Elias a greeting and the German operative did not expect one either. No one would want to be working at three in the morning.

With the bottle of Rozerem in hand, Elias trudged back to his room.

His comrades were still soundly asleep and for a moment, Elias was envious. He slipped off his shoes and set down his bottle of sedatives before laying on his bed. Elias sighed, lacing his fingers over his abdomen and staring at the ceiling of his room.

* * *

Monika noticed the underlines of Elias' eyes when she saw her male counterparts in the gym at five in the morning. She deduced that he had not gotten enough sleep in the night.

" _Guten Morgen_." Monika greeted as she approached the three men. They responded with own greetings. She joined them in their warm-ups and stretches before they paired off for a morning spar. Dominic and Marius quickly paired with each other, eager to see the interactions between their other two comrades.

Elias wrapped his hands as Monika did the same. They moved to a set of mats laid out on the floor. Monika rolled her shoulders, raising herself on her calves as she waited for Elias to take up a stance. His body relaxed, hands in front of his head and in loose fists. He stepped forward with his dominant side. Monika almost mimicked his stance.

"S _ind Sie bereit?_ (Are you ready?)" she asked.

" _Ich wurde bereit Geboren._ (I was born ready.)" his reply came with a grin.

Monika chuckled as she noticed a dangerous glint in his eyes. She was looking into the eyes of a killer. The female German met her comrade as he rushed forward, thrusting her arm outwards and deflecting a straight punch. Her fist jutted forward, but Elias leaned to dodge. As he leaned, Elias pivoted on the ball of his foot. Monika collided into his back and she felt him clutch her arm and lean forward.

The floor forced some air out of her lungs as Elias flipped her over, but she quickly recovered. She rolled before Elias dropped his knee. Monika regained her footing, moving away from Elias as he stood back on his own feet.

" _Spielen verschmutzt?_ (Playing dirty?)" Monika asked.

" _Es ist der einzige Weg zu spielen._ (It is the only way to play.)" Elias grinned back. The pair circled, watching each other as they slowly moved.

Elias made eye contact with Dominic as her back was towards them, watching the other man wave his hands frantically. Unfortunately for him, Monika took this lack of attention to her advantage and she rushed forward with a right hook. Elias barely deflected the swing, moving his arm outward to block. He moved his head to the right as a fist came thrusting upwards. Going with the motions of his body, Elias continued rotating right and pivoted on his foot. Monika ducked beneath the incoming leg, making a swooping motion with her own and knocking the man onto his back. While he was down, Monika straddled his chest, forcing her knees against his arm pits to prevent him from land successful hits on her. Elias brought up his fists to shield his face as Monika threw a series of punches.

Dominic grinned excitedly as he and Marius pretended to be occupied with the weights. "The man cannot hit her back."

Marius stifled his chuckle.

Elias knew he had to find a way to leave this position before he would have to forfeit. The man grabbed her wrists as he thrusted his hips to the side, rolling their bodies until he came out on top. Monika found herself being lifted, Elias' arms firmly crossed over her thighs. She felt the ground seconds later, air forcing itself out of her lungs. Elias let her go, allowing the woman to lay on the mats as he stood up.

" _Geht es dir gut?_ (Are you alright?)" he held out a hand for her.

Monika took a moment, but she nodded. " _Ja._ "

She sat up, taking his hand. He tugged her upwards and gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder. For a moment, his hand rested there for a second longer before he cleared his throat and took a step back. "Again?"

Monika noticed the slight redness in his cheeks, but she passed it off as result of their spar. She nodded, bouncing back and raising her fists again. " _Ja._ Again."

* * *

Dominic nudged Elias in the locker room. "So _mein Freund_ , how did you enjoy your spar? Tussling about with Miss Weiss."

Elias gave him a dirty look as he pulled the towel away from his face. Dominic laughed.

"At least you are making progress. Watching the two of you is my own personal soap opera." He continued.

"Would you stop it, Dominic? I am giving this process time." Elias said with a scowl as he finished drying off his hair.

Marius sat between the men before they could bicker any more. "If anything, Elias, you are trying your best to woo the Ice Queen. The worst thing she can do is deny your affections."

Elias rolled his eyes. "Were you trying to make me feel better or worse?"

"I was not trying to do either one." Marius leaned over to tie his shoes. "Best case scenario, you confirm your undying love to Director Six and you live on the terms Maxim and Tina agreed to."

Elias thought about that as he slipped his shirt on. There was no avoiding it; a relationship amongst their team was a risk and a liability if it takes a turn for the worst. Maxim and Tina agreed to the terms their Director placed on them. One slip up and they could be removed from Team Rainbow. Professional comrades while on duty, but lovers in the dark. Elias would be up for that challenge if it ever came to it.


	4. Chapter 4

Director Six made her entrance, her short heels making loud clicks has she entered the elevated conference room. On the first row in front of her, selections from Team Rainbow were seated. She looked over her chosen Operators before grabbing the small remote from the podium.

"Ladies and gentlemen," she began. "I have selected you today to take part in a mission that will take place in the Romania. The White Masks have sought temporary refuge there and the government is unaware of their presence. Therefore, this mission is highly top secret and covert. It will be an in and out, kill the head honchos and let the rest crumble."

Elias watched the projection screen come to life and a demographical map of Romania was displayed.

"The White Masks have hidden between the reservoir Zgură Cenușă and a village called Santăul Mic. They have made a hideout for themselves, which you can seldom see here," she pushed a button on the remote and the screen changed, revealing a small field and a tree line. Elias was barely able to note out the building hidden in the tree line. "Based on these photographs, we are able to conclude that this safehouse is not meant for a long-term stay, therefore, you will mobilize as soon as possible, and you will destroy the leadership there."

Director Six changed the screen again, displaying four men. All of these wore the traditional White Mask uniforms, but their coats wore different symbols and their face masks were colored in different red patterns.

"These are the targets located within the safehouse. Our intel shows that these men are some of the White Mask leadership. Your objective is to eliminate them. There is no room for failure, ladies and gentlemen. These men are seasoned, so watch your backs."

Elias looked to his sides. He trusted the abilities of his fellow comrades. Monika, Gustave, Timur, and Eliza. They would be able to complete the mission.

"I must reiterate the importance of remaining covert. We do not want to stir attention among the citizens of Romania. A packing list will be provided to you and address your weapons as needed. Travel to Romania will be by plane. Departure for Romania is in five hours to arrive there at zero dark thirty. The flight will be roughly two hours and twenty minutes long. Do what you must in these next five hours to prepare."

* * *

Elias went over his packing list. It was a short list, which he could easily understand why. One change of clothes, any hygiene he deemed necessary, a small flashlight with red and blue color attachments, chem lights, weapon cleaning kit. It all had to fit in his small push pack that fit over his shoulder and settled just beside his hip and strapped just around his thigh.

Marius and Dominic watched their comrade collect his items. While they knew that Elias would be fine, they still worried for the safety of their teammate. Monika being in his company eased most of their worries.

" _Pass auf dich auf da draußen_. (Watch your back out there.)" Dominic said with a seldom used seriousness in his voice.

Elias did not spare his comrade a glance as he tightly rolled his clothes. " _Das werde ich._ (I will.)"

" _Das wissen wir._ (We know.)" Marius added from his spot against the wall. " _Du und Monika seht zu das ihr zur_ _ü_ _uck schafft._ _Wir würden einsam sein ohne unsere zwei Lieblings Quatschköpfe._ (You and Monika had better come back to us. We will be lonely without our favorite sillyheads.)"

The German Operator pushed his rolled clothes towards the bottom of his push pack, sighing loudly. " _Marius, wir werden innerhalb der nächsten zwei Tage wieder in Hereford sein. Ich bin mir sicher, alles wird gut. Wir sind auf einer Mission und da ist kein Platz für persönliche Gefühle._ (We will be back in Hereford within two days, Marius. I am positive you will be fine. We are going on a mission. There is no room for personal thoughts.)"

Elias was grateful for the momentary silence as he finished packing his small bag. He slung the shoulder strap, clipping it into place before clipping the thigh strap. The man straightened, seeing his comrades watching him still.

" _Wenn das Team zu stationieren bereit ist, werden wir uns wiedersehen._ (We will see you again when the team is ready to deploy.)" Dominic promised as he stepped forward and gave Elias a clap on the shoulder. Elias nodded, unable to stop himself from noticing the worry in his fellow German's gaze.

" _Wir wissen das zu schätzen._ (We will appreciate it.)"

While their worry was unnecessary, Elias was confident that the team he was going to deploy with were well-abled. He left his comrades to their own devices, heading down the hall to meet with Monika so that they could go retrieve their weapons. The woman was waiting at the fork in the halls, leaning against the frame of the double doors with her arms crossed.

" _Bist du bereit?_ (Are you ready?)"

" _Ja._ " She responded as she pushed off the frame.

Together, they walked in silence towards their armory. Elias knew he could leave out his personal thoughts for Monika while deployment and while he did, he wouldn't be placing anyone at jeopardy. Along the way to the armory, Timur joined them. Dressed in a darker colored Gorka, the Russian Operator looked ready to deploy in that moment. Almost.

"No paint?" Monika asked, a finger pointing to her cheek.

Timur grinned. " _Net_. Not yet. I would hate to have the paint on for longer than necessary. You two look ready to kill."

"We are not going to have tea with the Queen of England." Elias retorted back with a grin.

" _Da_. I suppose you are right." Timur chuckled. "Do not let the SAS hear you disrespect their Queen."

By the time they arrived at the armory, the rest of the assembled team was there and pulling their weapons from the lockers. Elias and Monika made way to their team's locker bay.

"About time you came. I was starting to worry you would bail." Eliza said as she strode over, her R4-C slung across her chest. Her attention was more geared towards Elias than Monika.

Elias hardly spared her a quick glance as he pulled out a small weapon case with his P12 locked inside. He flicked open the latches, lifting his weapon and visually inspecting it, "I do not know what makes you think I would… _bail_ from a mission."

The ginger-haired woman smiled—a too warm of a smile in Monika's opinion—and she reached to give Elias a small nudge on his elbow. "You know I was joking. You're so serious."

Before Elias could be given a chance to answer back, Monika released the charging handle to her weapon loudly and flashed a steely look at the other female Operator. "As men and women in the special operations field, we need to remain professional and serious about our jobs. We need to set aside the games for tonight and focus on the mission."

Eliza's smile was wiped from her lips. Hazel eyes slightly glared at the German Operator before the smile came back. "Of course. You are correct. I will see the pair of you when we board the plane."

"…You did not have to do that." Elias murmured when Eliza was far from earshot.

Clicking of Monika's thigh holster was heard as she strapped it into place. She pushed her P12 into it, locking it in. " _Ich kenne. Gern geschehen._ (I know. You're welcome.)"

" _Danke sehr._ (Thank you very much.)"

With their weapons ready to go, armored and geared up, the team of five made their way to the flight line on Hereford Base. The plane was hardly commercial. Because of the high covertness of the mission, a smaller and more discreet plane was selected to take them to Romania. Much like Dominic and Marius promised, they were there to bid their teammates farewell and good luck despite Monika insisting they did not need luck to accomplish the mission.

The assembled team began to board the plane, but before Elias could turn after Monika, Dominic grabbed his elbow. Elias turned his head back towards his comrade and saw the serious look in his brown eyes. Words were not needed, and Elias nodded.

Elias approached the plane, climbing up the small set of stairs before seal its door.


End file.
